HAMBURG: German winter rapeseed sowings for the 2022 harvest have expanded sharply by 8.7% on the year to around 1.08 million hectares, Germany’s national statistics agency estimated on Wednesday.

Germany’s winter wheat sown area for the 2022 crop has increased by a moderate 0.4% on the year to about 2.87 million hectares.

The agency’s estimates of sowings are traditionally one of the first detailed indications of prospects for the upcoming harvest in Germany.

Germany is the European Union’s second largest wheat producer after France and a major exporter. It is one of the EU’s largest producers of rapeseed, Europe’s most important oilseed for edible oil and biodiesel production.